Nanowires: Science and Technology

This book describes nanowires fabrication and their potential applications, both as standing alone or complementing carbon nanotubes and polymers. Understanding the design and working principles of nanowires described here, requires a multidisciplinary background of physics, chemistry, materials science, electrical and optoelectronics engineering, bioengineering, etc. This book is organized in eighteen chapters. In the first chapters, some considerations concerning the preparation of metallic and semiconductor nanowires are presented. Then, combinations of nanowires and carbon nanotubes are described and their properties connected with possible applications. After that, some polymer nanowires single or complementing metallic nanowires are reported. A new family of nanowires, the photoferroelectric ones, is presented in connection with their possible applications in non-volatile memory devices. Finally, some applications of nanowires in Magnetic Resonance Imaging, photoluminescence, light sensing and field-effect transistors are described. The book offers new insights, solutions and ideas for the design of efficient nanowires and applications. While not pretending to be comprehensive, its wide coverage might be appropriate not only for researchers but also for experienced technical professionals.